Three dimensional simulations of island formation in a coherent strained epitaxial film

Abstract

Three dimensional finite element computations are used to predict the formation of quantum dot arrays in an epitaxial thin film system. The film is idealized as an isotropic elastic layer with isotropic surface energy, which is coherently bonded to an elastic, lattice mismatched, substrate. The film roughens due to strain induced surface diffusion, and eventually breaks up into arrays of discrete islands. Our computations predict the resulting island morphologies as a function of initial surface roughness and the properties of the film and substrate.